Saxophonist and founding member of the Dave Matthews Band LeRoi Moore died last night in Los Angeles of complications stemming from injuries sustained in a All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) accident back in June.
Moore punctured a lung and broke several ribs. He returned to the hospital last month due to complications.
According to the Neighborhood Safety Network, more than 700 deaths and 135,000 injuries occur every year relating to ATV accidents. About one-third of deaths and injuries are to children under 16.
The first study of ATV-related injuries and deaths was conducted by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in 1989. That year, the CPSC reported 131 deaths out of 163 ATV-related accidents. The causes for the fatalities ranged from driving under the influence, driving on public roads and carrying one or more passengers.
In a 2006 report, the CPSC estimated that the number of ATV-related injuries treated in hospital emergency rooms rose from 53,000 in 1997 to 110,000 in 2001. Most recently, 125,000 injuries were recorded in 2003.
Between 2003 and 2005 the UVA Children’s Hospital treated patients for 98 ATV-related accidents; three of them died. Nearly half of those severely injured were under 18.